My first visit to Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant in Staunton was after a trout fishing trip to the Bull Pasture River. It had been the Opening Day of the season and we had each caught our limits – and were we ever hungry after a long day on the water. I was with Wally, Tommy and Grover Forloines and they insisted we stop and eat at Mrs. Rowe’s.
“Order dessert first,” one of my companions said. “They run out quickly.”
So I ordered a slice of the recommended Coconut Cream Pie and it was as good as advertised. Homemade, and mouth-watering delicious. I also ordered a T-Bone Steak and it was falling off the side of the plate when they brought it. Others ordered Homemade Vegetable Soup and comfort food dishes, such as Meat Loaf. It was all excellent.
Mrs. Rowe’s has become a tradition for many, pulling in as they travel up and down I-81 and I-64. It’s a convenient spot to pull over, order a home-style meal and be on your way.
Mildred Rowe opened her first mom and pop restaurant called Perk’s in Goshen back in 1947. A few years later, she opened her restaurant in Staunton and called it Mrs. Rowe’s Family Restaurant. Mrs. Rowe was always at the restaurant, attending to every detail and welcoming patrons.
Unfortunately, she passed away in 2003, and though the restaurant still serves great tasting and tummy-filling food, it’s not quite the same – it never is when the owner and founder isn’t there.
But it’s still worth a visit.
Highly recommended dishes at Mrs. Rowe’s include Pork Chops, Mince Pie, Fried Chicken, Fried Apples, Sticky Buns, Hash Brown Casserole, Ham Biscuits and Banana Pudding.
Next time you pass that way and have an hour to spare, pull in at 74 Rowe Road in Staunton, just a few hundred yards off the Interstate (540-886-1833).
Whatever you do, though, order the dessert first, because they still run out quickly.